Canada’s Redefinition of Terrorism -By Pius Mordi

The two major political parties in Nigeria – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – were collectively incredulous to the ruling of the Canadian Federal Court which classified both parties as terrorists organisations. It was a judgement that ran against every definition of the word, terrorism in Nigeria. To the political leadership, terrorism manifests only when gunmen, known and unknown, wield weapons and wreak havoc on the people.

In its official response, the Federal Ministry of Information resorted to the old and anachronistic use of the regular defence of government’s misdeeds, of the country being “sovereign nation with a robust legal and constitutional framework.” It provides the alibi for any action taken to maintain “law and order.” It is what informed the justification of the the withholding of discharge certificate of Miss Ushie Uguamaye, a youth corps member on national service who was sternly reprimanded for criticising President Bola Tinubu, after she complained in a Tiktok post where she described Tinubu as a “terrible leader.” Uguamaye was punished unjustly for her outspoken criticism of the government. The backlash from Nigerians was unequivocal, forcing the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to issue a statement that her certificate was withheld after extending her service year by two months as a disciplinary action against her for missing April clearance.

A lawyer, Victor Giwa, speaking on Channels Television, faulted the trivialisation of the judgement by APC and PDP, noting that the ruling was in line with the Canada’s criminal law. Douglas Egharevba, a Nigerian seeking refugee status, had instituted the suit to legalise his refugee status. Inadvertently, Egharevba has introduced a new narrative on what constitutes terrorism in Nigeria. According to Giwa, “Canadian law, under the Canadian Criminal Code, Section 83, Subsection 01, defines an act of terrorism to be any political, religious, or ideological act that was done with the intention of causing death, serious bodily harm, intimidation, and risk to any life.”

The definition broadens the misdeeds of the government and political parties beyond the current military campaign against terror. In 2011, a number of young men and women had been killed in Niger State after then candidate Muhammadu Buhari had threated to visit violence on the country if the election was “rigged.” On coming into office in 2015, Buhari adopted arm twisting tactics to make the judiciary, a co-equal arm of government, subservient to him. First, he removed Walter Onnoghen, the Chief Justice of the Federation, unilaterally using an agency controlled by his office. Then a reign of assaults on judges under the guise of fighting corruption among judicial officers in the dead of the night began.

And the general elections that brought various levels of elected representatives? It took a falling out among politicians for prominent elements in their rank to openly flaunt their ingenuity in arranging victory for their parties. It was an audacious display of impunity that showed that votes by the people no longer counted much. When Nasir el-Rufai revealed how his Fulani kinsmen were shipped into the country ahead of the 2015 election to unleash mayhem on the country should President Goodluck Jonathan fail to give them the result of the presidential election they desired, it became clear the insecurity that has now locked down parts of the country was orchestrated. Unfortunately, President Jonathan beat El Rufai and his ilk to their game and gave them the result they wanted. Having tasted the tremendous cash that came with kidnapping for ransome, not even El Rufai’s payments to the gunmen they imported could persuade them to return to their countries they were recruited.

When opposition parties are taken over by paid agents in order to render them ineffective and ungovernable, the judgement by Justice Phuong Ngo is given credence. When a state government is overthrown and an unconstitutional Sole Administrator answerable to Abuja is appointed in its place, it is terrorism taken to unprecedented height.

Going by Justice Phuong Ngo, Nigeria has been a terrorist state riding roughshod on the rule of law for many years. There is an irony in the judgement Egharevba got. He may not have got the sympathy he sought from a country with the pedigree for protecting foreigners seeking refuge. Buhari took delight in quickly getting the Independent People of Biara (IPOB) designated a terrorist organisation, but his Fulani kinsmen who have been globally acknowledged as one of the most deadly killer-group are only called bandits engaging in skirmishes with farmers.

Femi Falana has put the Canadian judgement in proper perspective. It is up to APC and PDP, by extension, the federal government, to prove the Canadian judgement wrong, he said.

When the various administrations of the political class were passing the baton of impunity from one party to another, they equated holding public office and access to the public treasury with patriotism and hard work. Buhari called the younger generation lazy. But thanks to information and communication technology, the world has become a global village. The misdeeds of the past catching up with the country and gradually shutting the exit doors to the rulers. As the saying goes, the hills have eyes. And the walls have ears too.